Locomotive power reverse gear mechanism



Sept. 30,11947 M.- T. FORKER, JR I 2,428,069

I LOCCMOTIVE POWER REVERSE vGEAR MECHANISM ,Fild May 22, 194:5 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 30, 194 7- T. FORKER, JR. 2,

' LOCOMOTIVE POWER R YE'R'SE GEAR MECHANISM Filed May 22, 1945 sheets-sheet 2" T j z;

ATTORNEY$ nfaw Sept. 30, 1947 M. T. FORKER, JR

LOCOMOTIVE POWERREVEBSE GEAR MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 22, 1943 igi Patented Sept. 30, 1947 2,42%,tii

LOCOMOTIV E POWER REVERSE MECHANISM Major lorbett Forker, Jr., Baltimore, Md., as-

signor to The Balmar Corporation, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application May 22, 1943, Serial No. 488,008

This invention relates to locomotive power reverse gears through which the valve motion mechanism of a locomotive is set for forward or reverse operation as well as adjusted to difierent positions within either the forward or the revers range whereby to alter the timing of the locomotive valves.

More particularly, it relates to certain improvements in mechanism of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,327,344, issued August 24, 1943.

In the device of my prior patent, a fluid pressure operated actuating motor is utilized to effect the necessary movements of the power reverse gear mechanism and it is the particular object of the present invention to improve the control of this motor whereby to effect finer or more close adjustments of the reverse gear.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide for such improvement in fine adjustments preferably through the medium of a pivoted operating lever of the general type shown in my earlier patent and familiar to those skilled in this art whereby the engineer can effect the desired adjustments with as little change as possible in the technique customary in this art so as to avoid adding unnecessary burdens to the already heavy responsibilities of running a modern locomotive. I

In connection with the foregoing objects, it is also an object of the invention to provide a pivoted reverse lever mechanism in which means are provided for limiting thevnormal movement of the lever over. the quadrant with which it is customarily associated to something less than the full are of travel whereby to restrict the flow of fluid pressure to the actuating motor so as to effect relatively slow movement and fine adjustment of the reverse gear and this in either direction from the center of the quadrant so that the same type of adjustment is made availablefor both forward and reverse movements of the locomotive. In addition, the invention contemplates the provision of means whereby, upon simple increase in the operating force applied to the lever, it is possible for the engineer to move the lever to its full extent in either direction of travel for the purpose of permitting full flow of fluid pressure to the actuating motor for efiectin rapid movement of the reverse gear and thereby quick adjustment of the valves.

A further object of the invention is to provide controlling means for a locomotive power reverse gear mechanism of the character described in which a main control valve for opening or closing the supply line and a selecting valve for deter- 4'ClaimS. (Cl. 121-465) mining the direction of motor-operation are provided together with means for operating both of said valves simultaneously from the main control lever.

Still another object of the invention is to Provide an improved indicating mechanism which is more rugged and accurate and which is operated by the same fluidpress-ure actuated operating motor which operates the reverse gear proper.

How the foregoing objects together with such other objects as will appear hereinafter or are incident to my invention,- are attained is illust-r-ated in a preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation and a partial vertical longitudinal section of my improved device;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig-. ure 1;

mechanism of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line -44 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 2. Inasmuch as the present disclosure embodies much of the structure illustrated in my prior patent above referred :to, the present description of the common subject matter will be made as brief as possible, enough only being stated to clearly set forth the nature of the present improvements.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the reverse gear 6 is provided with a rotatable reversing shaft 1 which is driven by a reversible air motor 8. Since reversible air motors are familiar to the art and commercially available, the details of this motor are not shown herein. However, the pipes for delivering compressed air from the control valve mechanism to the motor to actuate the same for either forward or reverse operation, are shown respectively at 9 and it, the pipe 9 delivering the fluid pressure for forward motion of the locomotive and the pipe [0 for reverse motion. The motor exhaust is illustrated at H.

The rotatable reversing shaft 1 is geared to the operating shaft l2 of the motor by the bevel gears l3 and I4 and at its right hand end the shaft 1 is provided with a suitable connecting member 55 which is normally coupled in any desired manner to the reversing shaft of the valve motion mechanism of the locomotive which latter, however, is notillustrated because, per se, it forms no part of the present invention.

Also driven by the motor 8 is a vertically ar- Figure 3 is a front elevation of the indicator ranged indicator screw shaft l6 rotation of which is preferably effected by means of a bevel gear I! meshing with the gear l4 on the shaft 1' although some other suitable type of driving connection between the motor shaft I2 and the shaft l6 might be employed if desired. The arrangement disclosed, however, is compact and convenient and therefore represents the preferred driving connection. Mounted upon the threads |6a of the vertical screw shaft I6 is an indicator nut |8 adapted to move over the face of the indicator scale |9. From this it will readily be seen that the position of the indicator nut l8 directly reflects the position of the parts operated by the reverse gear and, therefore, the cut-off of the locomotive valves.

The fluid pressure for operating the motor 8 is taken from any suitable source of supply on the locomotive and comes in through the connection 20 after which it is subject to the control of the mechanism now to be described.

A reverse lever 2| is pivoted at its lower end upon a pin 22 so that it can be moved forwardly or backwardly over the quadrant 23. In either direction of movement it is adapted to oscillate a controlling cam member 24, connection between the lever 2| and the cam member 24, being effected by a pair of lugs 25 projecting from the lever 2| toward the cam member which lugs freely embrace a floating bushing 23' on the pin 21 which projects from the cam member 24 toward the lever 2|. It will be obvious that this arrangement provides for relative movement between the pin 21 with its bushing 26 and the embracing lugs 25.

As viewed in Figure 2', thecam member 24 has a. leftward extension 28 provided with an upwardly facing horizontal flat surface 29 immediately below a horizontally arranged operating bar 30 over the center of which bar is mounted the stem 3| of a main controlling valve 32 for the fluid pressure entering through the connection 20, the valve '32, as shown, being of the poppet type. It will thus be seen that in either direction of movement of the lever 2|, one end of the bar 30 will be raised so as to brin the bar into contact'with the lower end of the stem 3| and thereby raise the valve 32 from its seat 33 whereupon the fluid pressure will flow past the valve into the passage leading to the selective control valve '35.

The selective control or distributing valve is interlocked with the end of the cam member 24 so that it partakes of the motion imparted to the cam by the reverse lever 2|. The valve is rotatably mounted'in a bushing 36 and is provided with a web member 31 which, in its mid or neutral position, blocks the flow of the fluid pressure coming in through the passage 34, said mid position corresponding to the mid or neutral position of the reverse-lever. When the reverse lever is pushed forwardly (i. e. to the right, as viewed in Figure l), the valve 35 is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4: until the web member 3! establishes communication between the inlet passage 34 and the forward control passage 9a which is connected to the pipe 9 leading to the motor 8. Similarly, when the reverse lever is pulled back (to the left, as viewed in Figure 1) the web member 3'! establishes communication between the inlet passage 34 and the passage Illa which is connected to the pipe Hi. When either of the passages 9a or |a are receiving the fluid pressure, the other passage and its connecting pipe may be exhausted through the passage 38 to the atmosphere. It should be understood, though, that this need not serve as the exhaust line of the actuating motor since the latter is provided with its own exhaust outlet already described but the passage 38 does provide a means for draining the connections to the motor as quickly as possible.

The poppet valve is' provided at the top with a downwardly extending shoulder portion 39 of slightly less diameter than the bore of the bushing 46 for a purpose which will be described just below. A spring 4| acts in conjunction with the fluid pressure to urge the poppet valve normally toward its seat, said spring reacting between the cap nut 42. and the top of the valve as clearly shown in Figure 2. v

The quadrant 23 is centrally provided with a somewhat depressed portion 43 which terminates at each side in a shoulder 44 and 45. The reverse lever 2! carries a spring-held plunger member 46 which is adapted to ride on the upper face of the quadrant. However, before the plunger 46 can reach either of theend portions 44a or 45a, it will come into contact with one or the other of the shoulders 44 or 45 which shoulders act as stops for limiting the motion of the lever 2| to something less than its full arc of travel over the quadrant, the full arc of travel being determined by the abutments 44b and 45b which engage the sides of the lever.

When the lever 2| is moved so that the plunger 46 engages either shoulder 44 or 45, the poppet valve is raised from its seat only partially so that the fluid pressure which passes the valve will be restricted in volume by the portion 39. The selective control valve, however, will be positioned to cause operation of the actuating motor 8 in the desired direction so that whatever fluid does pass the shoulder 39 will cause the desired operation of the locomotive. In this way relatively slow operation of the motor 8 is made possible because of the limited flow of the fluid pressure, and this slow operation provides for extremely fine adjustment, much finer than could be obtained if the motor were actuated at full speed.

When more rapid movement of the reverse gear is desired, as when moving from forward to reverse position, the lever 2| is moved beyond the notches 44 or 45 by a simple increase in the operating force which the engineer applies to the lever Whereuponthe plunger 46 will be raised against the pressure of the spring 41 so as to permit the plunger to ride over either one or the other of the end faces 44a or 45a of the quadrant 23. In this way the lever can be moved to its full extent and the valve 32 widely opened to admit unrestricted flow of operating fluid to the actuating motor.

It will be obvious that my invention makes possible a much more accurate control of the cut-off especially where close adjustments are required. Furthermore, the mechanism which I have developed permits operation of the reverse gear in a manner well understood by engineers and with the least possible change in the technique customary in the art. Fine adjustments are generally desired and the engineer will secure these as a matter of course by virtue of the stops 44 and 45 but, where rapid motion of the gear is necessary, all that the engineer has to do is to press somewhat more vigorously on the lever 2| in order to force it to its extreme position.

Although apparent from the foregoing description, I should like to stress the fact that the main control valve and the selecting or distributing valve are operated simultaneously upon movement of the reverse lever 2i and that this simul taneous movement is effective for the slow operation of the motor 8 as Well as for rapid operation thereof,

I should also like to call attention to my preferred arrangement of the indicator. This is placed directly ahead of the reverse lever and in substantial alignment therewith longitudinally of the locomotive so that it is in clear view of the engineer without the necessity of turning his head or making more than a slight shift of the eyes from the right of way ahead after which his glance can easily and quickly return. This is a feature of great importance in the safe running of the train.

I claim:

1. A locomotive power reverse gear comprising a fluid pressure operated actuating motor, a. fluid pressure supply line to said motor, a valve in said line, a pivoted lever for controlling said valve, a quadrant over which said lever is adapted to be moved, a yieldingly held latch carried .by said lever, and a stop on the quadrant adapted to engage said latch to limit movement of the lever to something less than its full arc of travel over said quadrant, said valve being opened only partially when the lever is so limited in its movement whereby to restrict the flow of fluid pressure to said actuating motor to effect relatively slow movement and fine adjustment of the reverse gear, and said valve being fully opened when said lever is moved to its full extent whereby full flow of fluid pressure to said actuating motor is permitted to effect rapid movement of the reverse gear, and said latch being adapted to permit complete movement of said lever upon increase in the operating force applied thereto.

2. The reverse gear of claim 1 in which said valve is of the poppet type and is provided with a, stem having an enlarged portion adjacent the valve seat, which enlarged portion serves to effect said restriction in the flow of the operating fluid.

3. A locomotive power reverse gear comprising a reversible fluid pressure operated actuating m0- tor, a fluid pressure supply line, a main control valve in said line, a selecting valve for determining the direction of motor operation, a pivoted lever for moving both of said valves simultaneously, a quadrant over which said lever is adapted to be moved in either direction from a mid or neutral position, a yieldingly held latch carried by said lever, and a, stop at each side of the quadrant adapted to engage said latch to limit movement of the lever to something less than its full arc of travel over said quadrant, said main control valve being opened only partially when the lever is so limited in its movement and being opened fully when the lever is moved to its full extent in either direction, said latch being adapted to permit complete movement of said lever upon increase in the operating force applied thereto, and said selecting valve being opened simultaneously to effect operation of the motor in the selected direction.

4. The reverse gear of claim 3 in which said main valve is of the poppet type and is provided with a stem having an enlarged portion adjacent the valve seat, which enlarged portion serves to effect the partial opening of the valve when said member is moved to its limited extent.

MAJ OR. TORBETT FORKER, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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